Marine railway



Oct. 31, 1939.

N. G. HOLLAND MARINE RAILWAY Filed F65. 23, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet l Pm mm M M W Q m Oct. 31, 1939.

N. G. HOLLAND MARINE RAILWAY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 25, 1938 ATTORNEYS Oct. 31, 1939. N. e. HOLLAND 2,178.303

MARINE RAILWAY Filed Feb. 25, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 h N I: O G O r r" o} N N N I y. K 0 1 W N -s a?) :1 Q Q I! R I N 0 0 o, 0 N m w a N N i 0 O O 6: fhZZafid mvENToR I ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 31, 1939 Manna: RAILWAY Application February 23, 1938, Serial No. 192,132

'3 Claims.

This invention relates to marine railways and has for the primary object the provision of a device of this character which will permit boats to be hauled from water and relaunched with a minimum amount of strain and vibration thereto and will only require a minimum amount of power for its operation and possesses durability and efiiciency and may be economically constructed and maintained in operation.

With these and other objects in view, this invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view, partly in section, illustrating a marine railway constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating the device. t

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevation showing a slight modification of my invention.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary top plan View showing the same.

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 7-1 of Figure 5. t

Figure 8 is a fragmentary transverse sectional View illustrating another modification of my invention.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral l indicates a track of a marine railway. The track I is composed of longitudinal relatively spaced rail members 2, which in this instance are in the form of wooden members equipped with wear or tread plates 3. Any material other than wood may be employed for the construction of the track members. The track l is laid from a body of water to a selected place upon shore and movable over the track is a carriage 4 consisting of longitudinally extending members 5 having mounted thereon brackets 6 to which transversely arranged bed members I are secured. The members 5 act as supports for endless treads 8 substantially of the caterpillar type. Each endless tread 8 consists of a plurality of relatively spaced shafts 9 connected by links I D and journaled on said shafts are flanged rollers H. The rollers of the lower runs of the endless treads support the members 5 on the track l. naled in the links to provide flexibility tothe endless treads. The brackets 6 permit the upper runs of the treads to pass therethrough and are connected by wear plates l2 resting on the upper faces of the members 5 for the rollers of the upper runs of the endless treads to travel on. The upper runs pass under the bed members i and the latter are adapted to have a boat rest thereon and may be equipped with suitable chocks (not shown) for supporting the boat.

The forward ends of the members 5 are equipped with combined brackets and guides l3 through which the endless treads may pass and have removably secured thereto sweep blocks l4 adapted to sweep the track of any obstruction that may be on the rails thereof. The opposite or rear ends of the members 5 are equipped with brackets i5 secured on either side thereof and slidably receiving the guides IS. The guides 15 are permitted a limited longitudinal movement independently of the brackets It by virtue of the elongated slots it which receive the bolts 22 extending transversely through the body member 5. Washers 23 are held in appressed relation with the outer face of the guides by the nuts 2 to hold the said guide in the desired adjusted position. The forward ends of the guides frictionally engage the endless treads, and for the adjustment of the guides I5 on the members 5, set bolts it are provided which will permit the guides IE to be adjusted endwise of the members 5 for taking up slack in the endless treads.

When it is desired to couple two or more carriages together as shown in Figures 1 and 2, couplers H are pivotally connected on the adjustable guides 55 of the forward carriage and pivotally connected to the brackets on the rear carriage.

A carriage constructed inaccordance with the foregoing is capable of sustaining heavy loads and will move freely over a track with a minimum amount of vibration and strain to a boat supported by the carriage.

Instead of having the brackets 6, brackets It! may be employed in lieu thereof for connection with the bed members I. When the brackets l8 are employed the bed members I are cut away as shown at l9, to permit the upper runs of the endless treads to pass therethrough.

Instead of employing flanged type rollers as described, rollers 20 may be employed and certain of the connecting links have enlarged ends 2| to provide guide flanges for said rollers 20.

The shafts are jour- I What is claimed is:

1. A marine railway carriage comprising in combination parallel longitudinally extending members, transverse bed members connecting said longitudinal members, endless treads encircling said longitudinal members and engageable with a track to support the longitudinal members on the track, and guides carried by the ends of said longitudinal members and receiving said endless treads.

2. A marine railway carriage comprising in combination parallel longitudinally extending members, transverse bed members connecting said longitudinal members, guides carried by the ends of said longitudinal members, endless treads encircling said longitudinal members and received by said guides and engageable with a track to support the longitudinal members on the track, a substantially U-shaped bracket at one end of the longitudinal members, a guide slidable in said U-shaped bracket and engageable with the endless treads, and means carried by the U-shaped bracket whereby the said guide may be selectively adjusted in said bracket to vary the tension on the endless treads.

3. A marine railway carriage comprising in combination parallel longitudinally extending members, transverse bed members connecting said longitudinal members, guides carried by the ends of said longitudinal members, endless treads encircling said longitudinal members and received by said guides and engageable with a track to support the longitudinal members on the track, means for adjusting certain of said guides on the longitudinal members to remove slack from the endless treads, and sweeps carried by other guides, said endless treads each including a plurality of spaced shafts pivotally connected by links and having rollers journaled on said shafts.

NATHANIEL G. HOLLAND. 

